Ever wonder why you can’t see the recent changes to your website but your developer can? Or does your website look different on one device versus another? This happens all the time and can be an incredibly frustrating issue when you’re making updates to your website.

In this article, we’re going to show you how to get around this issue once and for all!

Quick Links

Clear browser cache on Google Chrome
Clear browser cache on Apple Safari
Clear browser cache on Mozilla Firefox
Clear browser cache on Internet Explorer/Edge

What is browser caching?

Browser caching is a method by which your browser stores information about visited page content and assets in order to reduce the load time of a page. Rather than re-downloading all of the code, content, and media each time you visit a page, your browser has a saved version of the page and serves up this information in order to improve your browsing experience.

Many websites which have not been optimized for performance will contain large files and media which will dramatically increase the time a user has to wait before they can view the page. This is a common oversight many businesses make and failure to address this issue can result in decreased conversion rates, higher bounce rates, and overall less customer satisfaction!

While many websites have their own server-side caching systems in place, you can control what your own browser stores in its cache. Below is a list of some of the current most popular web browsers and how you can easily clear your browser cache in order to see the latest version of a website.

How to clear browser cache on Google Chrome

Windows keyboard shortcut: control + shift + R
Mac keyboard shortcut: command + shift + R

Tip: you can use Google’s Incognito mode (control — or command on mac + shift + N with a Chrome window open) to view a webpage with no stored cookies or caching data to see the latest version of a website.

How to clear browser cache on Apple Safari

Windows keyboard shortcut: control + alt + E
Mac keyboard shortcut: command + option + E

Tip: you can use Apple’s Private Browsing mode to view a webpage with no stored cookies or caching data to see the latest version of a website. First, click the gear icon in the top right corner of your browser, then click “Private Browsing” — see below:

How to clear browser cache on Mozilla Firefox

Windows keyboard shortcut: control + shift + R
Mac keyboard shortcut: command + shift + R

Tip: you can use Firefox’s Private Browsing mode (control — or command on mac + shift + P with a Firefox window open) to view a webpage with no stored cookies or caching data to see the latest version of a website.

How to clear browser cache on Internet Explorer/Edge

Windows keyboard shortcut: control + shift + Delete
Mac keyboard shortcut: command + shift + Delete

Tip: you can use Microsoft’s InPrivate Browsing mode (control — or command on mac + shift + P with a Firefox window open) to view a webpage with no stored cookies or caching data to see the latest version of a website.

Conclusion

That’s it! Hopefully this resolves some of your “I can’t see the changes on my website” issues and you’ll be able to stay up to date with your dev team while relieving some of your rightful frustration!